Method and apparatus for treating clayware



April 16, 1929. w E, CRAMER 1,709,063

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING CLAYWARE Filed Dec, 27, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR'. /4 ////a/77 E Crame/T I ATTORNEYS.

April 16, 1929. E. CRAMER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING CLAYWARE Filed Dec. 2'7; 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTOR, WM/Mm LC. Crane/T A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. I6, 1929.

warren STATES Y meats PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. CEAMER, COLUM B US, OHIO, ASSIGNORTO THE ,HA'RROP CERAMIC SERVICE COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION Ci li" OHIU.

METHOD rm) .ereennrns non TREATING CLAYWARE.

Application filed. December 27 1927. sense). 242,709.

In the manufacture of clay Wareby the plastic process, the previous methods of drying the ware and getting it into anchthrough the continuous car tunnel kiln have resulted in an unnecessary amount of handling of the ware and of delay in the whole prhcess. The usual procedure has been to dry the ware upon separate drier cars and to then "take it from these drier cars and set it upon the kiln cars to full kiln-setting height. It has not been practicahle to set the ware, while in plastic state to the full kiln-setting height, usually ranging from 13 to courses In fact, experience has shown that plastic Ware, such as brick, cannot he safely set to a greater height than 7 or 8 courses, on edge, without damage to the lowfer courses during drying. Thus, it has been custoinary in drying, to limit the height of set ting to 7 or 8 courses on drier ears andjthen, after the necessary accumulation of dried ware has been obtained, to set this dried ware to full kiln-setting he'ight on kiln cars and pass it through the kiln for burning. This has necessitated the use of a large number of drier cars and a largearnount oi extra'equiplnent, such as trackag re etc.

I have recognized the disadvantages of this practice and have devised a novel process for handling the ware during the drying and burning operations, so that the nuinber of cars and the amount of equipment necessary will be materially reduced and so that consideralo'ly less labor will he required in the course of the process. In accomplishing this I have provided new apparatus and a new arrangernent of the appari tus used.

My process contemplates the placing of the plastic ware upon the kiln cars in the first instance, instead oi first setting it upon drier cars and then after drying, resetting it upon the kiln cars. That is, I first place a setting of plastic ware upon kiln-cars, preferably limit ing this setting to 7 or 8 courses. Then, I send the kiln cars, with this setting thereon, through drying unit which 1s of appropr ate cross-section to efiect properdrying, 'W'hen this setting issues from this first drying unit in a dried state, I then super-impose a series of courses of undried ware upon the said dried setting and upon the sarne kiln car. I then pass the same kiln car with the dried and un' dried ware thereon through another drier unit. Two or more drier units may he used successively in this way. Finally, however,

the whole setting oi ware which has been dried inthes'e successive stages and which is still upon the s aniel kiln car is sent through the kiln upon this kiln car. It will be understood that the drying units are successively higher, but thatthe particular height of anydrying unit may be altered as desired, Likewise, thefe drier units may be equipped with one or more parallel tracks and they may be either of tunnel or other type.

Que type and arrangeinen't of apparatus which I may use, is shown in the accompany- 111;; drawings wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of one type of apparatus used by me in the practicing of my method lhligure 2 isa plan View of this apparatus.

l igure 3 1s a side elevation taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation taken on line 4-4. of Figure 2. i

In the drawings, it will heseen that I have provided at con'veyer 1 which is designed to coi'iduct the undried clayware to a point adjacent the return track and near the charn'ini end of the first drier un it. Some oi the ward may he unloaded at this point either autoruatically or manually as desired andplaced on the kiln cars to partial kiln-setting height. The 4 conveyor 1 also conducts some of the plastic ware to a point hey *ond the first drier unit for the second loading; to he described.

The first drier unitmay he designated 2. It iso'f any desired 01111, being preferably oi? the tunnel type as shown in the drawing, liy reference to Figure 3, itwill appear that the roof of this drier unit is low, l ning): particularly so in] comparison with the, second drier unit 3. The drier unit-3 is of about the height of the tunnel. kiln 4;, being adapted to permit thepassage therethrough of a kiln car with a setting which is the full kiln-setting height, of approximately 13 to 15 courses of ware, While the drierunit Qis adapted to permit thepassage therethrough of a kiln car with only 7 or 8 courses of ware.

The car, which is used both for drying and burning, may be generally designated 5 and may travel upon a track 6 which passes throughthe drier unit Qand then through the drier 'unit 3. These drier units are preferably in alignment to facilitate such passage. The track 6, beyond the drier unit 3, leads to a transfer track 7 disposed in a pit 8.

A transfer car 9 is mounted in the pit 8 and adapted to travel upon track 7. This transfer car is provided with rails 10 and canbe moved into position to receive a car on such rails 10 after it leaves the drier unit 3 7 tion for-unloading and dried Wareand then and can then be transferred to a point for delivery'of such ear to the track 11.

The track 11 passes through the tunnel kiln 4; and leads to another transfer track 12 in a 14 substantially idencar 9 is adapted to reburnt ware thereon, as they leave the tunnel kiln fl. .After these cars have been transferred to the car 14, they may then be delivered to any desired locamay thenbe moved to the desired pointfor resetting preparatory to passing through the first drier. Briefly reiterating the method of use of this apparatus, it will be understood that 7 part of the ware is dried on the carsin passing throughthe drier 2. Additional undried ware'is then superimposed on this alreadypassed with the dried ware through the drier unit 3. The ware, as

it leaves the drier unit plete settingv track 11. nel kiln 4.

It Will be obvious that more than two drier units may be provided in cooperation with one tunnel kiln. The number of courses of ware first set on a car may vary, this depending 3 constitutes a com andis then transferred to the Then, it is passed through the tunsomewhatupon the type of Ware being treated and the drying characteristics of the clay.

Likewise, the number ofcourses superimposed upon any partial settin of ware may be varied as desired. Three o i four or more drier units may be used for each tunnel kiln if desired.

It willbe obvious that I have provided a novelproeess, apparatus and arrangement of apparatus which entirely eliminates the liecessity of using separate drier ears without increasing the number of kiln cars necessary for burning the ware. It will also be apparent that, with my process, it is necessary to set the ware only once, each piece of ware being setin the first instance upon the kiln carry it through the kiln. This greatly reduces the handling of the ware and renders unnecessary the holding of a large number of cars with dried ware thereon, pe

ndingthe accumulation of sufli cientware for the kiln car setting. Thus, in process resultsm the saving I 0 of labor, time and equipment. Other advantages have comprises setting the Ware in a the normal setting for the unit of greater height.

been touched upon and will appear from the appended claims.

It will, of course, be understoml that, throughout this specification, I have used the terms dried and undried in a relative sense only. For instance, each setting of ware upon a kiln car need be dried only sufficiently to support without damage, the additional setting of ware to be superimposed thereon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The method of treating clay ware which plastic state upon tunnel kiln ears to a iartial height of kiln, assiug the ware thus set through a drier oi appropriate cross-section, superimposing additional courses of undried ware on the setting of ware thus dried, passing this setting of dried and undried ware through another drier of appropriate e'rosssection and then passing the ware through a tunnel kiln.

2. The method of treating clay ware which comprises passing a partial setting of the ware on tunnel kiln cars through drier of appropriate interior cross-section, superimposed additional courses of undried ware thereon, passing these courses of dried and undried ware through another drier of appropriate interior cross-section, and then burning the complete setting.

3. The method of drying clay ware reparatory to passage through a tunnel iln which comprises setting a portion of the ware in plastic state upon a tunnel kiln ear, passing this portion through a drier, setting another portion of undried ware on the said first portion which has been dried and then passing this setting of dried and undried ware through another drier.

4:. The method of treating plastic clay ware which comprises placing a partial setting of undried ware on a tunnel kiln car, passing it through a dried, superimposing additional courses of undried ware on this previously dried partial setting and passing the dried and undried ware through another drier.

5. A method of treating plastic clay ware which comprises placing a partial setting of undried ware on a tunnel kiln ear, passing it through a drier with a low roof, superimposing additional courses of undried ware on this previously dried partial setting and passing the whole through a drier with a comparatively high roof.

6. Apparatus for treating plastic clay ware comprising the combination of a plurality of drying units of successively increasi ug height, and trackage extending through said drying units whereby a partial setting of ware in plastic state can be sent through the drying unit of lesser height, additional plastic ware y set upon the ware so dried and the dried and undried ware set through the next drying 7. Apparatus for treating plastic clay Ware comprising the combination of a plurality of drying units of succesively increasing height, a tunnel kiln, and trackage extending through said drying units and said kiln whereby a partidal setting of ware in plastic state can be sent on kiln cars through the drying unit of lesser height, additional plastic Ware set upon the Ware so dried, the dried and undried were sent through the next drying unit of greater height, and the Whole setting then sent thorugh the tunnel kiln for firing.

8. Apparatus for treating plastic clay Ware comprising the coinbinatienof a'pl urality of drying unlts of successively increasing height and each constructed to permit the passage therethrough of Ware on tunnel kiln cars, a tunnel kiln, and trackage extending through said drying units and said kiln whereby a partial setting of wars in plastic state can be sent through the drying unit of lesser height on tunnel kiln cars, additional plastic Ware superimposed upon the dried ware on said cars, the dried and undried Ware sent through the next drying unit of greater height, on the same car, and the Whole setting then sent through the tunnel kiln for firing on the same car. 7 V

In testimony whereof I hereby aHiX my signature.

WILLIAM E. GRAMER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,709,063. Granted April 16, 1929, to

WILLIAM E. GRAMER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 91, claim 2, for the word "superimposed" read "superimposing"; same page, line 109,

claim 4, for the word "dried" read "drier", and line 113, claim 5, for "A method" read "The method"; page 2, line 129, claim 6, for the word "set" read "sent"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may coniorm to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of June, A. D. 1929.

M. J. Moore,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

